Method and system for remotely controlling robots, and building having traveling robots flexibly responding to obstacles

Abstract

The present invention relates to remotely controlling robots and provides a method and a system, for remotely controlling robots, that are capable of controlling moving paths of a plurality of robots. The method for remotely controlling traveling robots comprises the steps of: controlling a specific robot to move along a preset first path; receiving an obstacle event for a specific area of the first path; generating a second path avoiding the specific area on the basis of the obstacle event; and controlling the specific robot so that same moves along the second path, wherein the destination of the second path is related to the destination of the first path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of remotely controlling robots comprising:
 performing control of a specific robot to move along a first path that is preset;   receiving an obstacle event for a specific area of the first path;   generating a second path for avoiding the specific area based on the obstacle event; and   performing control of the specific robot to allow the specific robot to move along the second path,   wherein a destination of the second path is related to a destination of the first path.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the generating of the second path, at least a portion of the first path is modified so that the specific area is excluded from the first path. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the generating of the second path comprises:
 determining whether an avoidance path exists that avoids the specific area and reaches the destination of the first path;   generating the second path in a case where the avoidance path exists as a result of the determination; and   performing a different control related to a mission assigned to the specific robot, depending on a mission characteristic of the mission assigned to the specific robot, in a case where the avoidance path does not exist as a result of the determination.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the different control comprises:
 a first control configured to assign the mission assigned to the specific robot to a different robot in a case where the mission assigned to the specific robot has a characteristic of a first mission that is transferable to a robot different from the specific robot; and   a second control configured to move the specific robot to the specific area in a case where the mission assigned to the specific robot has a characteristic of a second mission that is not transferable to a robot different from the specific robot.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 generating a moving path of the different robot, such that the mission assigned to the specific robot is performed by the different robot,   wherein a destination corresponding to the moving path of the different robot corresponds to the destination of the first path.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the moving path set for the specific robot is canceled in a case where the mission assigned to the specific robot is assigned to the different robot. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 searching for whether there is a different robot having a moving path that includes the specific area related to the obstacle event; and   performing control related to the different robot, in a case where the different robot exists as a result of the search.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein in the performing of the control related to the different robot, a different control is performed depending on the degree of urgency of a mission assigned to the different robot. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the different control of the different robot includes whether to maintain the inclusion of the specific area in the moving path of the different robot. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein in the performing of the control related to the different robot,
 the moving path of the different robot is controlled such that monitoring of whether the obstacle event has been resolved is performed by the different robot, in a case where the degree of urgency of the mission assigned to the different robot is such that it is possible to pass through the specific area, and   a new moving path is generated by modifying the moving path of the different robot so that the specific area is excluded from the moving path of the different robot, in a case where the degree of urgency of the mission assigned to the different robot is such that it is impossible to pass through the specific area.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the obstacle event has been resolved for the specific area using a robot different from the specific robot.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 setting the specific area as a first type of obstacle area based on receiving the obstacle event for the specific area,   wherein the specific area is set as a second type of obstacle area different from the first type of obstacle area in a case where the obstacle event is not resolved at least a preset number of times as a result of determining whether the obstacle event has been resolved.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a new moving path including the specific area is able to be generated in a case where the specific area is set as the first type of obstacle area, and a new moving path including the specific area is unable to be generated in a case where the specific area is set as the second type of obstacle area. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 setting a type of the obstacle event, in a case of receiving the obstacle event, based on at least one of information sensed from the specific robot, image information taken from the specific robot, movement information on the specific robot, and image information taken from a camera disposed within a predetermined distance from the specific robot.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 searching for, based on a type of the obstacle event, an expected resolution time corresponding to the type of the obstacle event in pre-stored obstacle event information; calculating, based on a time point at which the obstacle event is received and the expected resolution time that is searched for, a time at which it is first determined that the obstacle event has been resolved after the obstacle event occurred; and   transmitting a moving path including the area in which the obstacle event occurred to at least one robot, such that the at least one robot moves to the area in which the obstacle event occurred at the calculated time.   
     
     
         16 . A system for remotely controlling traveling of robots comprising:
 a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from a robot; and   a control unit configured to perform control of a specific robot to move along a first path that is preset,   wherein the control unit, in case of receiving an obstacle event for a specific area of the first path, generates a second path avoiding the specific area based on the obstacle event, and performs control of the specific robot to allow the specific robot to move along the second path, and   wherein a destination of the second path is related to a destination of the first path.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for remotely controlling robots, the program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the steps comprising:
 performing control of a specific robot to move along a first path that is preset;   receiving an obstacle event for a specific area of the first path;   generating a second path avoiding the specific area based on the obstacle event; and   performing control of the specific robot to allow the specific robot to move along the second path,   wherein a destination of the second path is related to a destination of the first path.   
     
     
         18 . A building in which a robot that flexibly responds to obstacles travels, the building comprises:
 an indoor area in which the robot is traveling; and   cameras disposed in the building and configured to photograph the indoor area,   wherein the robot is controlled to travel through the indoor area based on control commands received from a cloud server, and   wherein the cloud server, in a case where the robot is traveling along a first path that is preset, and an obstacle event occurs for a specific area included in the first path in the indoor area, generates a second path avoiding the specific area using image information taken through the camera, and performs control of the robot to allow the robot to travel along the second path.   
     
     
         19 . The building of  claim 18 , wherein a destination of the second path is related to a destination of the first path, and
 wherein the second path is a path in which at least a portion of the first path is modified such that the specific area is excluded from the first path.   
     
     
         20 . The building of  claim 19 , wherein the cloud server determines whether an avoidance path exists that avoids the specific area and reaches a destination of the first path, generates the second path in a case where the avoidance path exists as a result of the determination, and performs a different control related to a mission assigned to the robot, according to a mission characteristic of the mission assigned to the robot, in a case where the avoidance path does not exist, as a result of the determination.